after: ʻMARILYN DIPTYCHʼ, Andy Warhol - 1962, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Fort Worth, United States of America. Andy Warhol (1928-1987) surrounded himself with famous people. He loved high society. He admired Marilyn Monroe for her fame and her status as a sex symbol. Warholʼs art was inextricably bound up in the world of advertising, where he began his professional career. He was interested in the mechanical production of the artwork without the hand of the artist necessarily being involved in the production process.
after: ʻSELF-PORTRAITʼ, Henri Matisse - 1918, Musée Matisse, Le Cateau-Cambrésis, France.
A major theme in Matisseʼs work is the female nude or half nude. It goes back to, for example, Ingresʼ odalisques. The nudes stripped from all religious meanings, an object only exposing exotic beauty. Matisseʼs harem scenes often convey multiple female forms in a submissive and subservient manner. The use of colour is sensuous.
see original
after: ʻLES DEMOISELLES D’AVIGNONʼ, Pablo Picasso - 1907, Museum of Modern Art, New York, United States of America. Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) was an extremely gifted and commercially savvy artist. He made little distinction between a ruthless pursuit of the truth in his art and a thirst for adventure in his private life. He took what he wanted to create his unique oeuvre. In this painting Picasso combined the different styles of the primitive African art and ancient Iberian art.
see original
after: ʻNUDE ON BLUE CUSHIONʼ, Amadeo Modigliani - 1917, National Gallery, Washington DC, United States of America. Amadeo Modigliani (1884-1920) worked fast and furiously. He caught the soul of the model in just one or two sessions. His style is instantly recognisable. He painted people in long distorted shapes, accentuating anatomical form into geometric shapes. His love affair with Jeanne Hébuterne is one of the most tragic ones in art history. After he died of tuberculoses, drug abuse and exhaustion, she committed suicide over two days whilst 9 months pregnant.
see original
after: ʻINTERIOR IN MY STUDIO: A REAL ALLEGORY SUMMING UP SEVEN YEARS OF MY LIFE AS AN ARTISTʼ, Gustave Courbet - 1854-55, Louvre, Paris, France.
Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) stripped all sentimentality and romanticism from his art. He stated ʻI cannot paint an angel, I have never seen oneʼ. The model on the right is painted in a very down to earth manner, not embellished or stylised into a muse or goddess. The painting shows the artistʼs studio. At first glance it may seem a highly realistic work, but Courbet
had a very specific message to give. One side shows people from his native village of Ornans, on the other intellectuals, clients and friends from Paris. The only two spectators watching what he is doing are a child (maybe: innocence) and the model (maybe: nature).
see original
A special thanks to James Colman for his support, original ideas and help.